Federal Police prepares for attacking ISIS from northern axis

Iraq's federal police chief Shaker Jawdat revealed on Wednesday they prepare currently to penetrate ISIS defense from the northern axis of the old area in the right bank of the city of Mosul in the framework of the current operations to liberate the Iraqi second largest city. He added that the rapid response forces are supported by police force stationed in the northwest of Mosul.

Jawdat reviewed the results of his attacks on the right side of Mosul, where he managed to recover most of the 50 districts from the extremist group during the recent weeks. He added that they work currently to open new military corridor towards Nuri Mosque still controlled by the extremist elements, saying that the security forces managed to besiege the extremist elements in the right bank of Iraqi city of Mousl. He added that the federal police managed to kill over 34 extremists and destroyed seven bombing equipment.

He added that troops combed areas in Bab al-Jadid and Bab al-Bayd districts looking for sleeper cells and secret tunnels. “Three rest houses including eight booby-trapped motorbikes and explosives were found.

He stressed, ““Security forces were able to control wide parts in al-Zanjili district,” Ali Mohsen, from the army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Forces, said. “Explosives were defused. Suicide attacks by IS fighters that sought hindering the advance of security troops were thwarted.”

“Federal Police troops arrested 23 IS members, including leaders, and controlled places that were used by the militants as booby trapping workshops,” he added.

Meanwhile, Federal Police have announced murder of four IS snipers and bombarding of the area surrounding the Grand al-Nuri mosque in the western side of the city.

Located in the Old City, the mosque is the place from which Islamic State’s supreme leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi gave a famous sermon declaring the establishment of the group’s rule in Iraq and neighboring Syria.

On the other hand, Ten Iraqi army soldiers were killed and six were wounded Tuesday when Islamic State militants attacked an army command facility in western Anbar, according to news reports. Sky News Arabia said the attack on al-Sakkar region in al-Rutba left four soldiers killed and five others wounded in an initial toll.

Islamic State militants, who have held a handful of towns in western Anbar since 2014, have recently escalated attacks against government and paramilitary troops in Rutba. An earlier attack on Sunday left two soldiers dead and eight wounded.

fighter jets have regularly pounded locations held by the Islamic State at the stronghold towns of Annah, Qaim and Rawa, killing dozens of militants. Thousands of civilians are thought to be held in Islamic State captivity at those locations.

It is widely expected that the Iraqi government will launch a major security offensive in Anbar once it is done with its U.S.-backed campaign to drive out IS from Mosul, the group’s principal stronghold in Iraq, which has been running since October 2016. Military officials have been quoted over the past few weeks telling of preparations to invade IS havens in the province with the backing of the international coalition and tribal militias.

Kurdistan's President Masoud Barzani expressed concern over Iran’s position on an imminent independence referendum in the Kurdistan Region, saying secession is an internal issue which does not need foreign interference.

“As the Kurdistan Regional Government has previously made it clear, the case of referendum and Kurdistan Region’s independence is Iraq’s internal issue, for which [Erbil] will conduct negotiations with the federal government in Baghdad to reach a mutual understanding and make decision,” reads a statement by the DFR.

The Kurdish government also reiterated that interference of other actors will not be allowed into the issue. “Holding referendum is a natural right of the Kurdish people and they will make decision about it.”